Life in the Greater Communicating Universe isn’t easy. But death: now that has its perks.
For Rollie Tsmorlood, escaping a prison planet that no one ever survives… well, it’s more than a smart lifestyle choice. It’s the perfect chance to unleash some covert revenge.
But when someone steals the number three for ransom, suddenly Rollie’s not the only one looking for justice. Universal systems have ground to a halt. A third of the universe is trapped in a mysterious viral field. Even the Earth’s stuck in a looky-no-touchy zone.
Add to this, Rollie’s beloved ship has been sold for space salvage, and what’s an industrious dead man to do?
Earthling pal Bertram Ludlow knows. He’s learned a lot since ducking death himself. He’s discovered the thrill of second chances, the power of cold, hard cash...and he’s more than certain his planet’s endured enough.
Soon, Rollie and Bertram are caught up in a confounding case of cosmic conspiracy, two-faced dames, hot pursuit and lukewarm vending machine seafood.
Can Rollie and Bertram track down the numeroterrorist, free the GCU and rescue Rollie’s greatest nemesis… before their own numbers are up?
Jenn Thorson always knew she wanted to be a writer; it was the C+ in Penmanship that initially held her back. By the age of 11, she'd written her first mystery novel, Key to the Blue Moon, which her secretary-- er, Mom--was good enough to type up for her. It was a raging hit among the two people she knew.
Spurred by her dramatic success, she went on to write other works, an experience that found her cluing into the Mystery genre, flirting with the Melodramatic Teen style, and becoming better versed in the Embarrassing Poetry of Which We Shall Never Speak Again school of writing.
Yet, oddly, no one stopped her from attending Carnegie Mellon University for Creative and Professional Writing. And it was here she discovered that humor was in her heart. This was a surprise, since the funny bone usually gets so much press.
Soon Jenn graduated from Carnegie Mellon and, with an inconvenient bent toward eating regularly, she took a job as a technical writer for a software development company. In the years that followed, she would move from the joys of explaining where the File menu was, to managing the marketing of the company's product line. Marketing, she realized, involved a gleeful combination of Making Stuff Up and Actually Getting Paid for It; so she became a full-time marketing writer and project manager in a local advertising firm.
She also continued to hone her fiction, and her first published story, "The Last Great Play of Rosie Cosnowski" made its way into the Timber Creek Review.
Since those days, Jenn Thorson's stories have been published in the Humor Press, the magazine for the Lewis Carroll Society of North America, and Romantic Homes magazine.
Her books include the humorous sci-fi trilogy There Goes the Galaxy (There Goes the Galaxy, The Purloined Number and Tryfling Matters) and the Wonderland murder mystery, The Curious Case of Mary Ann.
Jenn Thorson lives in Pittsburgh, PA, and is a member of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America. _________________________________________________
If you enjoyed the first book, but felt that it might have fell a little short of your expectations, let me help you. Read the second book. The second book shows the author's growth as a writer. The first book wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it was close. The second book was perfect. Find out what happens to Bertram, How Altair 5 has treated Rollie, and discover who pulled off the largest and most unique heist in GCU history.
This is humor disguised in sci-fi. The number of puns & sly, disguised references can't be counted - just enjoyed.
I very nearly gave this book a four. In my rating system, a five has to be something you want to go start over immediately on completion. And I can't *quite* say that here. Plus, I thought I might be embarrassed to have given a five for a book that wasn't deep, and all serious-like. But, this was so much fun I just gotta get over all my self-important strictness & give the author what she deserves on a self-published novel.
This is a fun book and a great follow up to There goes the Galaxy. Don't expect anything too serious, and you'll fit in just fine with Bertram and crew. Mind you, serious things do happen, like number's being stolen, and inter-species relations, so be prepared to laugh at the quirky and witty things the author comes up with. Plus the book has a great flow, never feeling tedious or over done, and the world building really sucks you in, almost like a black hole.
Okok, my humor isn't as good as Jenn's, which makes me look forward to the next book. Take a chance on this one!
When I picked up the first book I expected at the most a middling sort of sci-fi story with the usual suspects for characters. But it turned out to be a fun book, far exceeding my expectations. Even with the second book, expectations were tempered, but this book has a better story and story telling than the first one and the writing is fun and witty. Full of puns and asides, its a good read if you want to chuckle throughout your read. Eagerly waiting for Tryfling Matters now.
This series just keeps getting better! The number 3 has been kidnapped and the whole GCU is falling to pieces. Following the adventures of Bertram Ludlow and Rollie Tsmorlood as they solve the greatest crime ever committed in the GCU. The story is full of twists, turns, crazy aliens, strange new worlds, geeky technology, good old mystery all sprinkled with a lot of laugh out loud moments. Do NOT pass this one up!
After enjoying the first book, I decided that I would enjoy the second one. And enjoy I did. Being a sequel, I was hoping to have a familiar feel as the first book and I was not disappointed. The Purloined number brought new characters as well as familiar ones and puts our esteemed hero (if you can call him that) into a new and interesting situation. As with the last one, there were many grins, groans and even eye rolls.
I'm really looking forward to reading part three. The characters are getting rounder and more likeable. I was immensely disappointed by Eoin Colfer's attempt on The Hitchhiker's Guide. If Jenn Thorson continues like this she might be a much better choice.
This book did just enough to be interesting, barely. The characters were the saving grace, as the story and mediocre attempt at humor(dad jokes?) didn't help a lot. I feel like the author got lazy with naming things and just picked something from the US and shifted a few letters in its name, then just described that same place. At least make your own attempt at world building. This book had more going for its entertainment value vs its story. meh...
Some writers are there to remind us that reading like any activity is meant to bring us pleasure. Laughter must come top of the list it clears the heart and warms the soul. Both book 1 and 2 have made me smile I'm now consuming the third. There is just the right amount of everything. The perfect recipe .